Platinum Locating Services specialises in locating and protecting underground utilities within metropolitan and regional locations. Our team understands the risks construction works pose to the underground services vital to our modern lifestyles, as well as the significant impacts unidentified services can have to construction, infrastructure and maintenance projects and personnel.

We provide our clients in the construction, infrastructure, utility, design and public sectors with confidence that their activities can proceed safely and as planned. Our industry-leading equipment and Field Aware software enables us to achieve fast, accurate results in a safe and inobtrusive manner. We can issue surveyed results to our clients from site so their works can proceed as soon as possible.

We are able to locate, label, and protect assets of all major services in Western Australia; including:

• High Pressure Gas Mains;

• Water Mains;

• Sewer Mains;

• Telecommunication Cables;

• Fibre Optic Cables; and

• Western Power Assets

We employ both Certified Locators and locators that are yet to obtain certification.  If you require Certified Locators to perform the work for you, please inform us of this when you engage our services.  This way we can ensure our Certified Locators will be used.

Platinum Locating Services utilises Ground Penetrating Radars (GPR) to identify underground assets in a non-invasive manner. GPRs operate by transmitting a high frequency radio signal into the ground, which is then reflected and returned to the receiver. In-built computers measure the time taken for the pulse to travel to and from the target to measure depth and location, which is then displayed on the LCD screen.

GPR waves are impacted by variables including different types of soil, concrete, fill material, debris, and water saturation, all of which have different dielectric and conductive properties. Our team is experienced in understanding and interpreting data produced by GPRs to determine accurate findings and report on utility depths and alignments.

GPR is preferable to traditional, invasive methods of service locating, such as potholing, and enables our team to conduct ‘blind searches’, should our clients not have access to existing utility information.

We use vacuum excavation to visually confirm the presence of the underground assets detected by our equipment. Vacuum excavation is recognised as best practice by leading utility providers and is known to significantly reduce the risk of damage to underground utilities.

Our vacuum trucks and vacuum trailers mean we can quickly and safely conduct large-scale or small-scale excavations in a variety of ground conditions. Our teams possess the knowledge and skills necessary to select optimal pressures best suited to the safety of the utilities at hand.

Our support team has over 30 years’ experience in trenchless technologies and is able to advise our clients on the drill shot depths and alignments best suited to variables such as existing services and ground conditions. We review our client’s projects carefully and provide recommendations on the safest and most accurate drill profile.

A Recipient in Charge (RIC) Vicinity Authority permit is Western Power’s standard form to authorise work to be conducted in close proximity to a live electrical apparatus. Our workforce includes RIC trained supervisors who are familiar with Western Power’s permit to work procedures; understand RIC requirements and responsibilities for Vicinity Authority permits; and can identify and implement suitable hazard and risk control methods.

Our RIC personnel ensure all works within the vicinity of high voltage electrical assets are conducted safely and conform to Western Power’s requirements and procedures

All works conducted within the vicinity of natural gas facilities must be supervised by an ATCO Gas Australia accredited High-Pressure Gas Field Supervisor. Our workforce includes supervisors, locators and spotters trained and accredited to accurately locate and protect high-pressure gas mains and ensure the safety of any works conducted within the vicinity of natural gas assets.

We ensure our clients’ projects are delivered in accordance with all permit, supervision, and other requirements of ATCO Gas Australia.